Have you ever been in full sprint during a point

A friend and I were arguing and in my opinion you can never use your full speed during a tennis point. It is all about quickness and not speed in my opinion. Of course one needs to be fast, but I don't think i've ever needed to run at my fastest during a point, even when I can't get there. I just have to be explosive and accurate with my footsteps. Anyone agree/disagree?

I'm of the opinion that you almost always don't get to 'full sprint' on a tennis court. It takes a bit to get to full sprint and in tennis you will usually start to 'check/reduce' your speed as you get to the ball.

e.g on a forehand/backhand you are pulled wide on, or on a dropshot if you are deep in the court, you will run but will slow down/get your footwork for the shot you are about to hit.

Sometimes I do wind up in full sprint. But if your point is that quickness is more important for court coverage that speed, I'd say you're correct. An experienced player who always gets a good jump on the ball never seems to have to hurry to get to the ball. Beginners usually don't move until the ball has crossed the net and even taken its first bounce. Even a track star beginner will struggle to cover the court while playing a pusher.

The shortest sprint in the Olympics is the 100 meter dash, but from the center of the baseline to the sideline is only 9 yards. Look at the mathematics, it's more about taking a few quick steps than all out running.

I'm pretty sure I've been in a full sprint a few times, but I agree that it doesn't happen often. I guess it probably depends on what you mean by full sprint. How many steps does it take for an olympic sprinter to get to a full sprint? 8 or 10 maybe? I don't know, but I don't think I have much more top end after about 6 steps maybe.

you've obviously played no one very good if you havnt ran full speed before. lets break one down.

he hits a wide serve. you backhand it, totally out of court. he hits it wide to the other side. maybe you dont hit full speed here, but your completely out of the court again. and he hits a drop shot, your 110 percent to get to that drop shot. and probably hit full speed to get the first ball if he hit it decent at all.

Not full sprint because 1) you have to be on your toes, and 2) you'll never recover if you go full sprint.

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I pretty much agree with this. if your in a situation where you have to gun it with your legs, how good of a shot can you hit and if your opponent gets it back, how much does it take to stop and come back. Sprinting is uncontrolled speed. Tennis players need controlled speed.

I don't know if there's enough room on the court to get to the same speed as a full sprint on a 100M dash, but the first step is a pretty explosive step kinda like out of the starting block

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I agree with this. It takes some time to actually reach max speed; truly sprinting for a drop shot would send you right into the net. Seems difficult to sprint at a shot that's maybe 2-4 feet from the net and actually decelerate that distance as soon as you manage to retrieve the shot. The court doesn't seem big enough to actually be able to sprint at all. I can visualize sprinting side-to-side though, but I don't think you can actually sprint and maintain your balance and control to retrieve the ball at max speed.

I would say that you can sprint on the court, but you won't hit the ball at max speed; usually you slow down a few steps before hitting it.

you run a 100m dash, your not getting faster after probably 5 steps. your just trying tohave to hold that speed.

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From baseline to net is about 5-7 steps depending on your stride and speed. And say you hit the ball on the last step, you're never going full speed on your last step at the moment of contact when running into the net with about a couple feet of room. The last step is used as a brake.

Anyone who knows anything about running would say it's impossible.
You can run as fast as you can during the point, but that's not close to your full speed or sprint speed.
Take the fastest 40 yard runner... maybe 4.2. He needs at least 7 steps to GET TO HIS TOP SPEED. The first 7 steps are acceleration.
7 steps basically takes you into the net from behind the baseline.
7 full acceleration steps takes you alley to alley, but you'd never slow down to hit the ball or recover position.
And in tennis, you're holding a racket. Holding a racket and trying to run to hitting position, NOT running into the sideline wall or thru the backboard.
Connors was considered a pretty good "getter" because he ran in almost a hitting position. Maybe 3/4 speed. That's fast enough. You don't need to be faster. If you did, you might try hitting a little better.

Not full sprint because 1) you have to be on your toes, and 2) you'll never recover if you go full sprint.

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I agree here.

Full sprint implies maximum speed, which takes a certain amount of time to achieve, time and space which a tennis court wouldn't really allow. Even if it did, you'd have to have time and space to slow down and stop. The game of tennis just isn't conducive to this.

It's all about acceleration and the positioning of your feet, not maximum speed.

From baseline to net is about 5-7 steps depending on your stride and speed. And say you hit the ball on the last step, you're never going full speed on your last step at the moment of contact when running into the net with about a couple feet of room. The last step is used as a brake.

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it doesnt take me that long to get to my top speed, because well, im not running half as fast as them. and i didnt completely agree with running from baseline to net. what if your on back left, and a drop shot on the right corner? more than 5-7 steps... what if your get pulled out way wide, then they have a drop shot... WAY over 5-7 steps.

Full sprint implies maximum speed, which takes a certain amount of time to achieve, time and space which a tennis court wouldn't really allow. Even if it did, you'd have to have time and space to slow down and stop. The game of tennis just isn't conducive to this.

It's all about acceleration and the positioning of your feet, not maximum speed.

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you do realize people achieve maximum speed in a reletively short distance right? the part where a world class sprinter, and a high school sprinter are pulled apart is the ability of the world class sprinter to HOLD that speed. when you watch a race. and you see someone pulling ahead, there probably not getting faster, the other person is just slowing down.

People who hit their top speed in "3.5 - 5 " steps are slow runners.
If it was remotely possible to do the above, why would long jumpers need 14+ steps before hitting the takeoff ramp, why would high jumpers need 8 steps before takeoff, and why doesn't a DefensiveBack just stand static at the 10 yard line every time?

you do realize people achieve maximum speed in a reletively short distance right? the part where a world class sprinter, and a high school sprinter are pulled apart is the ability of the world class sprinter to HOLD that speed. when you watch a race. and you see someone pulling ahead, there probably not getting faster, the other person is just slowing down.

quote: "Remember, a sprinter typically hits peak somewhere between 50 and 60m, but then slows progressively"

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Wouldn't that totally depend on the person. I know I have a very quick start time, but I would begin slowing down long before 30 meters. Maybe if I trained for several months it would be different, but I think it's pretty easy for me to hit top speed inside the court. Once I hit stride I don't seem to speed up. I think the key to tennis movement is a fast start and fast stop. That's typically what allows you to stay in the point.

Wouldn't that totally depend on the person. I know I have a very quick start time, but I would begin slowing down long before 30 meters. Maybe if I trained for several months it would be different, but I think it's pretty easy for me to hit top speed inside the court. Once I hit stride I don't seem to speed up. I think the key to tennis movement is a fast start and fast stop. That's typically what allows you to stay in the point.

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Sure it would depend on the person, we are not all Usain Bolt's. But a rather athletic pretty fast guy would need at least 30 meters to gain maximum speed, i don't think you give yourself enough credit But as someone stated that some people need 3.5 steps to gain maximum speed is ridiculous.

Reaching top speed at this or that distance is imaterial. If you are running as fast as you can (ie not regulating your speed to enter the strike zone) then whether you could travel even faster 10 meters later makes no difference. You still need a higher footspeed to accomplish your goal, reaching the ball, which was the OP's question. That is: is footspeed important? Yes, it is important, because there are times where you are going all out. Could you attain a faster footspeed on a mythical court twice as large, maybe, but that isn't the question.

you do realize people achieve maximum speed in a reletively short distance right? the part where a world class sprinter, and a high school sprinter are pulled apart is the ability of the world class sprinter to HOLD that speed. when you watch a race. and you see someone pulling ahead, there probably not getting faster, the other person is just slowing down.

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It's almost as if you didn't read my post.

A) Tennis players aren't world class sprinters. It takes them more space to achieve maximum speed.
B) Take note of how much space a sprinter needs to slow down after crossing the finish.
C) Put a tennis racquet in a sprinter's hands and it takes that much longer to achieve max speed.

Even if a tennis player managed to achieve maximum speed during a point, there wouldn't be enough space to stop. Even if there were, that slowing down process would take them so far out of position that the point would be over.

If you have any videos of pros running full sprint during a match please post them.

A) Tennis players aren't world class sprinters. It takes them more space to achieve maximum speed.B) Take note of how much space a sprinter needs to slow down after crossing the finish.C) Put a tennis racquet in a sprinter's hands and it takes that much longer to achieve max speed.

Even if a tennis player managed to achieve maximum speed during a point, there wouldn't be enough space to stop. Even if there were, that slowing down process would take them so far out of position that the point would be over.

If you have any videos of pros running full sprint during a match please post them.

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i know im still a bit off subject, but ah well.

with that logic, you could put a 100 lb bag on the back of a sprinter, and they could STILL reach the same top speed as before, but it would just take an even greater distance.

they dont slow down quickly because at the speed their at it would be easy to tear tissues in their knees.

go top speed in a car, sure you could easily slow down pretty quick, but your taking a chance on spinning out, and hitting a tree, or maybe you dont catch the ground very well, and you slide into another car. so when your going fast in a car, you slow down at a relitevely slow rate to be safe.

A) Tennis players aren't world class sprinters. It takes them more space to achieve maximum speed.
B) Take note of how much space a sprinter needs to slow down after crossing the finish.
C) Put a tennis racquet in a sprinter's hands and it takes that much longer to achieve max speed.

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A) I think it's a big assumption to say that an average tennis player can continue to speed up over distance like a world class sprinter. I could be wrong, but I don't think I would gain much if any speed once I reach stride. This is of course right now, with tennis being my main sprint training.

B) Not relevant. I brake hard on a tennis court because I have to. I also don't wear track shoes, because my ankles would snap running the way you have to on a tennis court.

C) Actually they wouldn't achieve the same max speed, so I'm not sure what the time to max speed with a racquet would be, but I think it could be less.

In any case, I don't know if this is a max speed issue or not, I think it's a have you ever been running as fast as you could go on a tennis court. I know I have. How close it was to my max speed, I don't know, but I have reached full stride before. It is indeed very rare though for me. I know some of the older guys I play with have certainly reached full speed. They just don't run that fast. So, can you ever be fast enough on a tennis court? My answer is no. It always pays off to be faster, even if you are so fast that you can only reach half speed.

I only ever go full speed on those shots where its do or die. Usually this involves me getting pulled way off the court, and i'll either hit an insane down the line running forehand winner, or i'll completely miss, trip, fall, and make an ass out of myself. Either way, there wont be a second shot after that and i'll usually stop 4 or 5 meters off the court from my sprint.

heres somethin for you. if you go up in a plane to about oh say 20,000 feet. and you drop a 20 lb dumbell, would it continue to speed up the WHOLE way down, ONLY reaching its MAXIMUM speed right before impact?

the answer is no. it would reach its "terminal velocity" in a rather short time. the same with a runner, the more distance someone has to run doesnt mean that they'll continue to speed up.

Tennis players rarely hit a full sprint like a sprinter does, partly because you are up on your toes and have a higher center of gravity in a full sprint. That's not very conducive to hitting a tennis ball. Most of the sprinting in tennis is like the start of a race - the scrambling part.

The fastest I've gone is on shots in which I'm running full at the net from an angle so that I can hit the ball and then continue past the net on the side. Even then, I slow myself to hit the ball.